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SF Rec and Park’s Randall Museum to Begin $8 million renovation

SAN FRANCISCO – The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department and Randall Museum Friends proudly announced the beginning of the Randall Museum renovation which will start at the end of November 2015. To mark the milestone, a groundbreaking ceremony will take place on Tuesday, November 17th. The Museum has been closed to daily visitors since June 2015 with a grand reopening scheduled for early 2017.

The project will include the renovation of the live animal exhibit, classrooms, restrooms, and first floor lobby, as well as a new science lab, a new elevator, and a new geology exhibit. This project is a partnership between SF Rec & Park and the Randall Museum Friends, and is funded primarily by a $5.5 million grant from the California State Parks’ Nature Education Facilities Program. The Randall Museum Friends are funding an updated STEM Lab and toddler room. Contributions have also come from the 2000 Neighborhood Park Bond, the Randall Grounds Renovation Grant, and the City’s General Fund.

“It’s great to see the renovation of the Randall Museum funded largely by a State grant program,” said Assemblymember David Chiu. “And it’s exciting to see that the improvements will provide a much-needed transformation for this family-friendly facility.”

“I want to thank the community for supporting the renovations of the Randall Museum, which for years has served as an exciting place to nurture our kids’ curiosity for learning,” said Supervisor Scott Wiener, who represents the neighborhood on the Board of Supervisors. “The new and improved Randall Museum will be an even more fun and safe environment for kids to explore and learn many interesting facts about science and humanity.”

Sustainable design techniques will be implemented pursuant to the grant requirements including the utilization of sustainable building materials, energy efficient lighting fixtures, low flow toilets and sinks, and recycled materials. The interior renovation will include the consolidation, and rearrangement, of interior rooms and ADA compliance measures. Interior equipment, materials and finishes will be upgraded. Any changes to the building exterior will be historically sensitive. Grant funding will also be used to seismically upgrade portions of the facility, make grant-funded portions of the facility more sustainable and diminish its carbon footprint.

“We are thrilled to break ground for the Randall Museum and begin a new chapter of this wonderful community hub,” said Phil Ginsburg, SF Rec & Park General Manager. “We look forward to welcoming everyone at the newly renovated and greatly improved Randall Museum in early 2017.”

The renovation went through a design process and the construction is set to begin this winter. And to ensure that the Randall provides the richest possible visitor experience when its doors re-open in 2017, Randall Museum Friends is leading a multi-million dollar philanthropic effort to supplement the guaranteed public funds. Philanthropic community support will be used to further enhance and expand exhibits, add distinctive architectural features, refurbish highly trafficked areas, and – importantly – create new and enlarged programmable spaces to serve greater numbers of visitors and provide additional revenues for the Randall in years to come.

“The renovation of the Randall Museum comes at a time when science education is more important than ever. Our children’s’ understanding of how the natural world is connected will better equip them to understand and address the effects of climate change,” said Randall Museum Friends President Mitchell Shapson. “The Revitalize the Randall campaign has successfully raised additional funds and it is not too late to participate in that effort.”

About the Randall Museum & the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department:The Randall Museum is owned and operated by San Francisco’s Recreation and Park Department with a mission to inspire creativity, curiosity, and a love of learning about the world around us. In fulfillment of this mission, the Museum, located in Corona Heights Park, offers an integrated program of arts and sciences to children, youth and adults through opportunities for hands-on learning and recreation, focusing on the cultures and environment of the San Francisco Bay Area. For more information about the Randall Museum the public may call 415.554.9600 or visit http://www.randallmuseum.org.

The San Francisco Recreation and Park Department’s Mission is to provide enriching recreational activities, maintain beautiful parks and preserve the environment for the well-being of our diverse community. For more information about SF Rec and Park please visit http://www.sfrecpark.org.